Simple Systems with Interactions

Abstract

In this chapter we introduce interactions among the particles of the system. These interactions are simple enough so that the treatment of the system by ST is still feasible. The models presented in the following sections are devised to mimic the behavior of binding or adsorption phenomena frequently occurring in biochemistry. Examples are the binding of oxygen to hemoglobin, the binding of ligands to multisubunit enzymes, the so-called allosteric effect, and the far more complex binding of proteins, such as repressors, to DNA.